


The Uninvited Guest

by kissoffools



Category: UnREAL (TV)
Genre: Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Halloween, ToT: Trick - Freeform, Unexpected Visitors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-22 08:07:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8278828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissoffools/pseuds/kissoffools
Summary: The moment the set plunges into darkness, Rachel's first instinct is to wonder: what the fuck is Quinn up to now?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ariadnes_string](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariadnes_string/gifts).



> An canon-divergent AU for S02E07, "Ambush". If it were set at Halloween.

The moment the set plunges into darkness, her first instinct isn’t to worry. 

She’s not concerned for the shoot. She doesn’t jump on her headset to ask for a backup generator. She’s done this for a dozen seasons, and she’s seen a thousand curveballs. The shrill screams from the ten sexily-costumed girls don’t even register with her at first.

No, the lights go out, the girls scream, and Rachel immediately thinks, _What the fuck is Quinn up to now?_

She doesn’t like being kept out of the loop. Not when she’s supposed to be the showrunner.

Rachel pushes through the crowd, her boot crushing glass under her heel. A smashed light, likely knocked over in the sudden darkness. Someone’ll have to clean that up later. As she gets closer to the railing, she can sense Quinn even though she can’t make out more than her outline in the dark.

“What did you do?” Rachel hisses, grabbing Quinn’s arm.

“Do you seriously think I’d fuck up our shoot when we’ve only got five hours of night left?” 

Rachel laughs once, and it sounds hollow. “After this many years, it wouldn’t surprise me.”

“Then you clearly don’t know me as well as you think.” She hears Quinn fumble with the wire from her earpiece. “Jay, what the fuck—”

Suddenly, the lights fill the _Everlasting_ set. Rachel blinks, holding a hand up to her eyes. The cast looks around, confused, the Halloween decorations looking less magical in bright light. The crew fiddles with their equipment, trying to get it up and running again.

And there, standing in the middle of the set, is Adam Cromwell.

Rachel feels her stomach drop. “Shit.”

“It doesn’t look like someone’s happy to see me!” Adam says loudly, a grin plastered across his face. It’s wide but doesn’t reach his eyes, and Rachel can feel every inch of her skin burning under his gaze. 

He takes a few steps towards her. Rachel vaguely registers that the cameras have turned on them—four lenses capturing their reunion from every ugly angle. But she doesn’t look away from him. There’s a challenge in his eyes, and like hell is she going to show weakness now. He’s seen enough of that from her already.

“Can we do this someplace where there aren’t cameras?” Rachel says, her jaw tight.

“But isn’t that your whole life?” Adam asks, gesturing around the room. “Putting on a show?”

“Okay, Meat Puppet.” Quinn’s at her side—Rachel had almost forgotten all about her. “Did you forget? We finished your season. Ratings were through the roof. We don’t need some man-baby with a grudge taking up our night hours.” There’s a little smirk on her face. “Not very Halloween-y.”

“Should I have dressed up instead?” he says. The smile is all gone now. “Would I be worth your time then?”

“Only if you got naked.” Quinn’s voice drips sardonically. “Although one of us has already seen that show.”

“All right.” Rachel steps forward. “Adam, get out.”

She reaches for him, fully prepared to drag him off the set if she has to, but he tugs his arm out of her grasp. “Not until I tell America exactly what kind of hell you’re running here.”

“Adam—”

“All you’re going to do is make yourself look like a sad, bitter rich boy who’s upset that for once, the world didn’t hand him something,” Quinn says coldly. “You sure you want cameras running for that?”

“You’re pathetic,” Adam spits. “All of you.”

He smells like whiskey.

Darius steps forward, his sexy pirate costume suddenly looking pathetically out of place. “Dude, come on,” he says to Adam. “It’s not worth it, man.”

“Oh, are you this season’s Meat Puppet?” Adam asks, shoving him a little. Rachel braces herself for Darius to hit back, but he simply raises his hands in surrender and backs away. Smart move. “Has she slept with you too, then?”

Darius shakes his head. “Man, you need to chill.”

“Adam!” Rachel says sharply. He turns his gaze towards her again.

“Come on,” she says, “I know you’re angry. Don’t take it out on him.” Rachel can feel her voice switch—it’s her producing voice, her make-shit-work voice. Her get-people-to-do-what-the-fuck-you-want voice.

Quinn always calls that her greatest strength.

“Your season ended terribly. You were humiliated. I get it—I’d be pissed, too.” 

“ _You_ did that. Don’t pretend it was an act of god.”

“I know,” she says, mustering up every ounce of sympathy she can. After all, she has to sell it. “I hurt you. I was angry. I was wrong.” She takes another step towards him, and she sees the anger on his face slip just a little. _Bingo._

“Listen, can we just… can we do this in private?” Rachel’s voice is softer. 

When Adam speaks again, his voice is a little hesitant. “I know how you operate. I know you, remember?” He shakes his head. “I know you.”

“And I know you,” she says gently. “I haven’t forgotten, Adam. How could I?”

When she reaches for him this time, he doesn’t pull away. She runs her hand up his arm, turning him around slowly. “You don’t want any of this on TV, Adam. I know you’re mad. So let’s just go somewhere and talk.”

Adam leans into her touch, his eyes falling shut. “Rachel, I…”

“Shh,” she murmurs, stepping closer. “Do you trust me?”

“Rachel—”

“Do you trust me, Adam?”

After a moment, he opens his eyes and looks down at her. “No.”

Her gaze darts over his shoulder and meets Quinn’s. “Good,” she says. “Because you shouldn’t.”

“Adam Cromwell, you’re under arrest for trespassing,” a deep male voice says, and suddenly Adam is hauled backwards, cuffs snapping around his wrists. Two police officers grip him by his shoulders. Behind them, Quinn stands with her arms crossed, her cell in her hand.

Rachel thinks that knowing how to read minds is Quinn’s greatest strength.

Adam struggles against the officers’ strong hold. “Rachel? Rachel! How could you—”

“We might've had something once, Adam,” Rachel says coldly. “But you left. So now you’re going to do it again.”

She tells herself the pained look in his eyes doesn’t register with her as the police tug him away.

Rachel blinks, exhaling slowly. 

The room is silent for a full minute, and then it’s as if everyone snaps out of it all at once. The girls move towards Darius again, the cameras refocus, and the rest of the crew bustles away. It’s over so fast it’s almost as if it never happened.

For everyone except Rachel, maybe.

“Thanks for having my back,” she says as Quinn approaches her.

“Don’t I always?”

Rachel gives Quinn a pointed look, but can’t help the small smile on her lips. “So now we’ve got less than five hours of night left. Think we’re going to get everything we need?”

“I wouldn’t worry.” Quinn says. “I have a feeling we’re going to be fine.”

“I guess that wasn’t what Chet was expecting when he put a Halloween episode on the schedule this season,” Rachel says, shaking her head in disbelief. She needs another coffee.

“Oh, I don’t know. Chet wanted a big episode,” Quinn says, eyes on Adam’s retreating figure, still held firmly between the two cops. “With a little editing, we can turn ‘The Return of Cromwell’ into a must-see.” 

Rachel raises her eyebrows. “Oh, really.” 

Quinn winks. “A costume party won’t hold a candle to these ratings.” 

She fiddles with her earpiece and turns on her heel. “Christ, one interruption and Pansy-Ass Graham goes running for his dressing room. Can we get that asshole back on set, _now_?”

And as Rachel watches Quinn’s retreating figure, she thinks her first instinct might have been the right one all along. 

Damn it.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween, ariadnes_string! I hope you enjoyed and that this is trick-y enough for you! :) I read your request and just kept thinking it would be perfect for the question, "What if Adam came back angry instead of remorseful?", so that's where this wound up going. I tried to go with a little bit of Quinn and Rachel teaming up, and a little bit of Quinn manipulating Rachel. The show strikes that balance so well, so I hope I've even somewhat done it justice!


End file.
